This was mentioned on the Classics list yesterday ... there's a piece from the Sun-Sentinel (now picked up by the Eagle) all about insomnia and its cures ... it includes this:
I won't mention that Mr. Nay isn't a doctor ... he's a polysomnographic technologist. I wonder if Mr. Neal knows the origins of the very long word used to describe his profession. It also appears that Mr. Nay has failed Latin (or was forced to take Latin -- and didn't have much success at it) in the past. But -- given that I myself am a chronic insomniac (who knows that stress and interrupted sleep is the primary reason for same, in his own case, anyway) -- I can't help but wonder whether Mr. Nay seriously believes and promotes that an activity that requires intellectual acuity and concentration is really the sort of thing one should do to help fall asleep. And let's not (like Mr. Nay) put on our prejudicial hats and focus solely on Latin -- trying to teach yourself ANYTHING is not the sort of thing that will contribute to drowsiness! Now if he had suggested that you bring in certain teachers/professors to lecture you to sleep, I might agree, but I still doubt I could fall asleep in my bedroom with some guy or woman trying to teach me something.
On the JFKMC website it appears that Mr. Nay has lectured on this topic before ... I would like Mr. Nay to cite a research paper that demonstrates that actively trying to learn anything at bedtime will contribute to a healthy sleep pattern.
Neal Nay, manager of the sleep disorders center at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Fla., agrees that lifestyle changes can be very effective in treating insomnia. He recommends simple approaches, such as getting out of bed and reading until you're drowsy, to get a good night's sleep.
"We encourage (insomniacs) to read something kind of boring, not a romance novel or a suspense novel," he said. "Teach yourself Latin. That should make you drowsy."
I won't mention that Mr. Nay isn't a doctor ... he's a polysomnographic technologist. I wonder if Mr. Neal knows the origins of the very long word used to describe his profession. It also appears that Mr. Nay has failed Latin (or was forced to take Latin -- and didn't have much success at it) in the past. But -- given that I myself am a chronic insomniac (who knows that stress and interrupted sleep is the primary reason for same, in his own case, anyway) -- I can't help but wonder whether Mr. Nay seriously believes and promotes that an activity that requires intellectual acuity and concentration is really the sort of thing one should do to help fall asleep. And let's not (like Mr. Nay) put on our prejudicial hats and focus solely on Latin -- trying to teach yourself ANYTHING is not the sort of thing that will contribute to drowsiness! Now if he had suggested that you bring in certain teachers/professors to lecture you to sleep, I might agree, but I still doubt I could fall asleep in my bedroom with some guy or woman trying to teach me something.
On the JFKMC website it appears that Mr. Nay has lectured on this topic before ... I would like Mr. Nay to cite a research paper that demonstrates that actively trying to learn anything at bedtime will contribute to a healthy sleep pattern.